Sulky-plow



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

AUGUSTUS I. GALE, OF ALBION, MICHIGAN.

SU LKY- PLOW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,966, dated August 13, 1889.

y Application filed February 2l, 1889. y Serial No. 300,649. (No model.)

.To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS I. GALE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Albion, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sulky- Plows, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in sulky-plows; and the invention consists in the peculiarmanner in which the plow is adj ustably supported in relation to the plow-beam, and, further, in the peculiar provision made for controlling the casterwheel which supports and guides the rear end of the plow-frame, all as more fully hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which 1 v Figure l is a perspective view of my improved sulky-plow, and Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof with the adjusting devices and levers omitted.

The supporting-frame of the plow is substantially of known construction, and consists of atriangular-shaped frame the base c of which is in the longitudinal direction of the plow, with the sides b and c secured thereto on the land side, and with the intermediate bar d longitudinally secured between the bars b and c.

e is a crank-axle journaled in suitable bearings f and g and provided with the wheel h, which adjustably supports the frame on the land side of the plow. The crank-axle is provided with a suitable hand-levert` and adj usting devices by means of which the crankaXle is turned up or down for the purpose of raising or lowering the frame, all asin the well-known manner. Y

The plow-beam j is vertically adj ustably secured in proximity to the base a of the plow-frame in the following manner: A slotted guide 7c is secured to the base a and engages the rear end of the plow-beam to guide it in its vertical adj ustn1ent,which latter is obtained in the usual manner by an adjusting-lever Z, which is mounted upon the plowframe in suitable proximity to the driver on his seat, and provided with a connection m to the plow and with a notched segment n. The front end of the plow-beam passes loosely through a slotted guide o, secured between the front end of the base a and side c of the frame. This guide is provided with the vertical guidc-slots p, into which engages the fixed pin q, which is secured transversely through the plow-beam, and another adj usting-lever fr is mounted upon the front portion of the frame in suitable relation to the driver and provided with aconnection swith the plow-beam and with the notched segment t, as in the ordinary construction of such adjusting devices.

The draft is directly applied to the plowbeam by means of a suitable clevis u., secured to the front end of the plow-beam.

On the mold-board side the plow-frame is supported by the ground-wheel c, which is mounted upon a stub-axle which is secured to or formed integral with the vertical shaft w. This shaft is journaled in a suitable bearing w', secured to the outside of the base ct of the frame, and, projecting upwardly above the plow-frame, terminates inl a lateral offset w, to which the rear end of the guide-pole is secured by a suitable coupling, all so arranged that by means of the construction described it keeps the wheel c in line with the draft of the plow.

The rear end of the plow-frame is provided with a vertical bearing y, which projects laterally on the outside of the plow-frame and in which is mounted the'caster-wheel z, which supports and guides the rear end of the plowframe. To the upper end of the pintle of this caster-wheel is secured the disk A, which is provided upon its upper face with a radial notch B. A similar disk O is secured near the upper end of the vertical shaft w, which carries the front wheel, and this disk upon its upper side is also provided with a notch D, the sides of which are provided with inclines E.

F is a rock-shaft longitudinally journaled vin suitable bearings G, which are secured to the hase a of the plow-frame, and this rockshaft is provided upon its ends with the rockarms II and H', which are adapted to engage into the notches B and D of the disks A and C, respectively.

As long as the draft is-applied in the direct line of the plow-beam, or nearly so, as

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in the action of plowing a straight furrow,

the draft holds the wheel r parallel, or nearly so, to theplow-beain, and in this position the rock-arm Il engages into the notch D, and simultaneously therewith the rock-arm Il engages into the notch B, the casterwheel being thereby locked in its position parallel to the,v

plow-beam. As soon, however, as the plow is turned around to one side or the other at the end of the furrow the change in the direction of the guide-pole x is imparted to the wheel r, and this turning of the wheel 'U lifts the rock-arm Il out of t-he notch D by means of one of the inclines E. This movement is communicated through the rock-shaft F to the rock-arm II, which thereby is also withdrawn from its engagement with the notch, and thereby unlocks the easter-wheel to adjust itself to the turning movement.

As soon as the guide-pole resumes its normal alignment with the plow-beam after the turning is completed the rock-arm Il' drops into the notch D and the rock-arin II into the notch B, thereby locking the caster-wheel again into its prescribed position for guiding the plow-frame while cutting a straight furrow.

To prevent a slight deviation from a straight line in plowing, I enlarge the notch D sutliciently to give a limited free playto the rockarin ll when engaged in said notch.

The weight of the rock-arms II and H is suiiicient to cause them to drop into the notches B andD by the action of gravity and remain in such position until forcibly displaced in turning, the notch B being sufieiently deep to form a positive lock against any accidental displacement ot the rockarm II.

That I claim as my invention is l. In a sulky-plow of the character described, the combination, with the plow-frame and the plow-beam supported thereon, of the front and rear guides provided therefor on the plow-frame, and in which the front and rear ends of said plow-beam are vertically and independently adjustable, and the vertical slots in the front guide into which lateral projections of the plow-beani engage, substantially as described.

f3. In a sulky-plow of the character described, the combination, with the plow-frame and t-he plow-beam supported thereon, of the front and rear guides provided therefor on the plow-frame, and in which the front and rear ends of said plow-beam are vertically and independently adjustable, the vertical slots in said front guide in which a transverse pin or equivalent lateral oiset on the plow-beam engages, and a draft attachment applied to the front end of said plow-beam, substantially as described.

In a sulky-plow of the character described, the combination of the parts a, b, and c of the plow-frame, the vertically-adjustable plow-beamj, the rear guide 7e of the plow-beam, the front guide o of the plowbeam, provided with the slots p, the transverse pin q of the plow-beam engaging therein, and the adjusting devices applied to the front and rear ends of the plow-beam, substantially as described.

4. In a sulky-plow of the character dcscribed, the combination, with thefront guid ewheel controlled by the pole, of a rear supporting caster-wheel with the locking device controlled by the front guide-wheel and consisting of the notched disks mounted on the vertical shafts or pintles of said wheels and the rock-shaft extending between and provided with the rock-arms resting loosely upon and adapted to engage with the notches of said disks, substantially as described.

5. In a sulky-plow of the character described, the combination, with the front guide-wheel `r, controlled by the guide-pole, of the easter-wheel e', the disks A and C, secured to the vertical shafts or pintles on which the said wheels are adapted to turn, the notches B and D, formed, respectively i n said disks, the inclines E on the notch D, and the rock-shaft F, provided with the rock-arms Ii and l l, resting loosely upon and adapted to engage into these notches, substantially as and for the purpose described.

o. In a sulky-plow, t-he combination, with the front guide-wheel controlled by the guide pole, the caster-wheel, and the disks C and A on the shafts or pintles of said wheels, and formed upon their upper faces with notches, as shown, of the rock-shaft F, journalcd in bearings G and having its ends bent to form the rock-arms Il II', which rest loosely .upon the tops of said disks and adapted to engage the notches therein, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof:l I ailix my signature, in

presence of two witnesses, this 26th day of January, 1830.

AUGUSTUS I. GAL'E. Witnesses:

EUGENE P. ROBERTSON, J. H. SHELDON.

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